To Russia With Love
by AlphaKnightX
Summary: Shun goes to Moscow to train with Jaakor in a different environment, and Alice generously allows him to stay at her place. However, when sparks do fly, will fireworks really light up their night, or will someone ruin their time together? #OneShot


_**To Russia With Love**_

The airport was bustling with activity, despite the cold weather. Shun Kazami, now ranked as the world's number one Bakugan player thanks to Dan leaving, wasn't bothered by this. The ninja brawler was used to centering himself in the middle of the noisiest environments. After all, he did spend almost his entire time in Bakugan Interspace, where probably every brawler in the world would hangout, and that was only until a few years back.

Shun was a world-wide celebrity, but he opted not to leave the airport through any of the backdoors. Again, he didn't mind the noise of the airport. Not that Russian airports were that crowded anyway. A green sphere floated out of his pocket and opened up beside him, resembling an armoured man.

"Well, this seems to be quite the spot. Are we here to train?" Jaakor, Shun's partner Bakugan, asked.

"Yeah, we are. The cold here provides excellent conditions for physical training. That's not all that we're here for, however." Shun said, looking around. "We're visiting someone."

The ninja brawler's eyes landed on their target, who was approaching them while waving with a friendly smile. Chocolate brown eyes, long and wavy orange hair, and a round pale face… Alice Gehabich did not change from Shun's perspective. Nope, not even a little bit. He approached her, Jaakor resting on his shoulder.

"Hey, Alice. Long time no see." He said smiling.

"Yeah, good to see you, Shun! I admit I was a little surprised when I knew you were coming to Russia. I promise it was in a good way, though! Either way, welcome to my home." She said, beaming at him.

"I was actually putting it off because I was rather busy, but here I am now. To be honest, I regret not making the time to do this sooner." He replied.

"Well, what matters is that you're here and that you've had a safe flight. Now, off we go!"

* * *

Shun and Alice rode to the Gehabich mansion in Alice's own car, a Mercedes-Benz E200. The ninja brawler was impressed by the car, figuring that having a world-famous scientist as your grandfather must've had its perks. Regardless of the fancy car, the ride itself was fun as well; Shun got to enjoy the snowy scenery, and Alice got introduced to Jaakor. Finally, they pulled over in front of the mansion. Shun stepped out of the car, admiring the view of the place before him.

"I haven't been here in a long time. Feels good to be back…" He said, staring at Alice's home with nostalgia in his eyes.

"You've been here before?" Jaakor asked.

"Yeah, a couple years back. Dr. Michael used to be the one who transported us back and forth to Vestroia." Shun explained. He then turned around as Alice walked up beside him, carrying his suitcase.

After the expected skirmish over who gets to carry the suitcase, Shun eventually came out victorious and went inside triumphantly carrying it. Jaakor grew bored of it, and disappeared into Shun's pocket. Anyway, as soon as they were inside, the familiar figure of an old man walked into the hall to greet the ninja brawler.

"Shun! Welcome, I haven't seen you in a long time." Dr. Michael Gehabich said, greeting Shun from behind the same pair of glasses he wore when Shun last saw him.

"Indeed it has, Doctor. Thank you for such a warm welcome."

"Oh, it's okay. You should know, though, Alice is cooking us a fancy dinner tonight just because you're here."

"Grandpa!" Alice said, shifting uncomfortably.

"You don't have to trouble yourself like that." Shun said, trying to be polite.

"That's okay, you know I like to cook anyway. Now, you go unpack and get some rest, and I'll wake you up when dinner's ready." Alice said, urging Shun upstairs.

* * *

Once inside his room, Shun opened his suitcase on the bed and started unpacking. That was when Jaakor came out once again.

"I've never gotten this weird sensation from you before." Jaakor said.

"What weird sensation?" The ninja brawler asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't keep secrets from each other, Shun. I'm your partner. If anyone can tell what you're thinking, it's me." The Ventus Bakugan said knowingly, landing on the bedside table as Shun resumed his work.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Fine, I'll say it: You like her."

Shun stopped in his tracks and turned to Jaakor, his hazel eyes steady and unwavering.

"That'd be way too out of character for me. You know that." He pointed out.

"That's why I called it a _weird _sensation." Jaakor replied, then sighed. "Look, I'm no expert on human emotions, but I think you should talk to her. I kind of got a similar feeling from her, so if nothing's gonna happen between you two, then you need to make sure she's on the same page."

"That's actually pretty solid advice. How do you know about these stuff?"

"I've been around a few times whenever Dan and Runo were having trouble, listening to Marucho's and Mira's pieces of advice to them." Jaakor explained.

"Fine, I'll talk to her." Shun said, rolling his eyes and admitting defeat.

* * *

Dinner was delicious to say the least. Dr. Michael wasn't kidding when he said that Alice was making up something special for the night, and Shun definitely got a kick out it. As a thank you, Shun insisted on making them some tea to drink after the delicious meal. He and Alice sat in the foyer while Dr. Michael had retired to his lab.

"This sure feels like old times, doesn't it? I remember all of us hanging out with the others on Marucho's plane, resting and blowing off steam after spending the whole day looking for the infinity core." Alice leaned back in her chair, taking a sip from her tea.

"Yeah, those were some good times. Except, of course, for the fact that both our world and Vestroia were falling apart." Shun said jokingly.

"I guess it wasn't all giggles. Nevertheless, I do cherish all these memories dearly."

Shun stared at her, his hazel eyes never leaving her for one second. He was waiting for the right moment to talk to her, or at least slip in the fact that he doesn't want to be involved with anyone. All the same, he mentally took notes of every movement she made, every breath she drew. He shook his head slightly so she wouldn't notice.

'This is ridiculous! It's just a conversation, no big deal. C'mon, Shun, just say what you've got to say, and that'll be it.' He thought. Then, finally, he drew a deep breath and worked up the courage to do it.

"Say, Alice, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." He began.

"Sure, what's up?" She asked, looking at him with her widened chocolate brown eyes. Those innocent, fun-loving, chocolate brown eyes. Shun's grip on his tea tightened.

"…How do you feel about going out for a coffee with me tomorrow?"

* * *

In a room lit only by the light from the hallway, a man smiled, his face visible only to the computer screen in front of him. Satisfaction filled his heart as his mind raced, thinking up many scenarios.

'Oh, you'll be the first, Shun Kazami. And I _will_ break you.'

* * *

"Well, this is quite unexpected. In a good way, but still."

Shun was standing in front of a mirror, trying on several shirts over dark blue jeans. Jaakor watched him, staring as his partner wasted the last twenty minutes swapping between three shirts, trying to determine whether the best choice.

"I know. I never thought I'd be here, but I am. I don't know how it came out." Shun explained.

"I guess somethings are best left unknown. You look happy, and from where I'm standing, that means you made the right decision asking her out. Just make sure to enjoy it. Also, the green one looks best." Jaakor suggested, finally bored from all the shirt switching.

"Well, here goes nothing." Shun said, finally putting on the light green shirt and his dark blue jacket over it before heading downstairs.

Once downstairs, Shun found himself sitting with Dr. Michael, who was sipping from a cup-o-joe. Jaakor rested silently on the coffee table, observing his partner. His mind seemed a bit distant during training that morning, so the Ventus Bakugan knew that Shun was looking forward to this.

"So, I hear you and Alice are going out tonight." Dr. Michael said.

"Yeah, we are. Just coffee and a walk around town." Shun replied, not sure how he should proceed in such a situation.

"I see. Well, I hope you two have fun together. Be careful, though…" The scientist took a sip from his coffee. "…you never know what might be out there."

Shun eyed him carefully, and then simply shook his head.

"I understand your concern, Dr. Michael. I'd never let anything happen to Alice, I promise." Shun said reassuringly. The scientist looked at him for a moment, before nodding at him with a smile.

"What're you guys talking about?"

Shun turned to the source of the voice, and found Alice walking towards him. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a light purple sundress below a black jacket alongside a white pair of short heels. The ninja brawler stood up, taking in her appearance.

"Nothing, I was just conversing with Dr. Michael over some stuff. Are you ready to go?" Shun asked, trying to hide his amazement.

"Yeah, I am. Bye grandpa! Your lunch is in the fridge." She said as she took the car keys and led him outside.

"_Tell her she looks nice._" Jaakor whispered.

"_Where are you getting that from? I mean, she looks nice, but you think she doesn't know that?_" Shun whispered back.

"_Shun. I'm a _Bakugan_. How can I know about these stuff more than you?_" The Ventus Bakugan said, shaking his spherical body disapprovingly. "_Look, just trust me. She'll appreciate it._"

"By the way, I just wanted to tell you that you look beautiful." He said as they rode in the car.

"Oh, thank you, you look good too!" She said, immediately busying herself with adjusting the mirror beside her. Shun noticed this, as well as a soft pink hue forming on her cheeks.

He turned to Jaakor. It wasn't visible on the Ventus Bakugan, but the ninja brawler somehow knew that his partner was smiling and winking at him. Jaakor was acting so out of character, but then again, Shun had to admit that he was too, a little bit. Alice turned on the engine and they both made their way towards the city.

* * *

Alice was having fun. She had agreed earnestly when Shun asked her out, even if it was kind of sudden, but she was still worried about going on a date with Shun. Nevertheless, there they were, strolling down the street with ice creams, laughing as they exchanged stories of what they'd been up to since they last met. The Vexos' attack seemed too long ago, even though it was only a couple years back. She knew that he wasn't the kind of guy who went on dates, at least not much. Thus, she was quite surprised when she saw that he knew his way around a date. Maybe he got some advice from someone? It didn't matter to her. She was just glad to have his company.

Her cheeks went red a bit, however, when he reached over and interlaced his fingers with hers. She was a bit surprised, too, when her hand rested naturally in his by instinct.

"You having fun?" He asked her.

"Y-Yeah, I am. Are you?"

"Yeah." He said, looking at the starry sky above them. "To be completely honest with you, some part of me is wondering how come we never did this before."

"Actually, I was just wondering the same thing…" She said as hazel met chocolate brown.

For a moment there, they both almost forgot they were out. Holding hands didn't feel weird anymore, and in that specific second… everything just felt in place. Right. Perfect.

She whispered his name as he took a step closer to her and cupped her face with his hand, leaning in as they gradually shut their eyes. Their lips were a second away from meeting…

The already too-cold temperature dropped suddenly, and Shun couldn't feel Alice's hand around his anymore. His eyes practically popped open as he heard her screaming. They weren't standing in the street anymore. Shun was standing on rocky ground, surrounded by black fumes and smoke, which hid everything around him. He looked up, and saw her restrained by weird tentacles. Jaakor came out of Shun's pocket.

"What the hell is going on?!" Shun asked in a very alarmed tone.

"I sense a great power nearby, Shun. Be careful." Jaakor warned his partner.

"You see, Jaakor, no amount of carefulness would help you two right now."

They turned to the source of the voice, and Shun and Alice felt the blood drain from their faces when they saw who it was. The blue cape, orange glasses and green skin were unmistakable.

"Hal-G…" Shun said wide-eyed.

"No way… Grandpa?" Alice looked at the man standing below her in disbelief.

"You kids looked as though you missed me! Why don't you give good old Hal-G a hug?" He said, spreading his arms widely.

"You… you're the one who almost destroyed our world alongside that creep Naga." Jaakor said in recognition.

"The great Jaakor knows who I am. Apparently my reputation precedes me."

"I don't understand. How did you come back? We made sure Naga was defeated all those years ago…" Shun asked.

"Well, let's just say that someone helped me out." The negative-energy counterpart of Dr. Michael said, his wicked smile ever-present on his face.

"Someone? Who?" The ninja brawler raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You'll find out as I smash you to pieces and take your power, Shun. Now, let's do this thing." Hal-G replied, taking out a gate card and holding it up for the brawler to see.

"Alright then, you got beaten before, so it'll happen again. Let's do this!" Jaakor receded into a sphere as Shun grabbed him and glared at Hal-G.

**BATTLE BEGIN!**

**SHUN: 100%**

**HAL-G: 100%**

"Gate card, set!" Hal-G yelled as a dark wave spread across the ground.

"Prepare, Shun, to face power like you've never seen before in your life! Bakugan, brawl!" He threw a Darkus-attributed Bakugan onto the field. "Bakugan, stand!"

Instead of the normal light that shone whenever a Bakugan accessed its powers, a cloudy portal opened in the ground. Shun's eyes widened when a serpentine Bakugan of seemingly endless length came out of it. The Bakugan's lower body was that of a snake, so tall it never completely came out of the portal. Its upper body was muscular, and it had a cobra-like head, black scales, and purple teeth and spikes all over its body.

"Behold… Darkus Venomoid!"

**VENOMOID: 850 G's**

"Venomoid? Ever heard of him?" Shu asked his partner.

"No, never. However, I do sense his powers keeping us in this pocket dimension, away from Earth."

"So, you're saying that the quicker we beat him…"

"…The sooner we're out." Jaakor finished for his partner.

"Then let's do this already." Shun said, then grabbed Jaakor. "Bakugan, brawl! Baku-Sky Raider, jump!"

As Jaakor unleashed his true form, he flew at Venomoid in a spiral to gather momentum, and wasted no time in nailing the Darkus Bakugan in the gut. Shun smiled in satisfaction.

**JAAKOR: 1200 G's**

Shun checked his Baku-pod as Jaakor jumped back. Yet, to his surprise, Venomoid's power level read 1100 G's, where it should've gone down.

"What the-?"

"C'mon, Shun, you didn't really think I'd just rush into a fight without a plan, did you?" Hal-G said before laughing maniacally.

"He can… suck power?" Jaakor said in disbelief.

"I was once sealed away with the power of the perfect core… but now, I will surpass the perfect core! I will _destroy _the perfect core!" Venomoid roared.

"That's right… you can hit him again and again with everything you've got, Venomoid will just rise above it." Hal-G said, spreading his arms out widely.

"We'll see about that! Ability card, activate! Supreme Jet Shot!"

**JAAKOR: 1400 G's**

The three cannons on each of Jaakor's forearms collected energy, which the Ventus Bakugan then released towards his opponent. An explosion ensued when the blasts hit their target, but when the smoke subsided, Venomoid still stood unscathed.

"Not even long-range attacks work?!" Shun looked at his Baku-pod in disbelief as it read 1500 G's as Venomoid's power level.

"Ability, activate! Cobra Breath!"

As soon as Hal-G activated the ability card, Venomoid moved with superior speed towards Jaakor and fired a stream of purple flames at him from point-blank range, returning Jaakor back to his ball form and sending him back to Shun's feet. However, the shockwave caused by the attack was somehow so strong that it pushed back even the ninja brawler himself, who felt pain all over his body.

**SHUN: 35%**

"Shun!" Alice yelled in concern.

"Oh, right, I forgot to mention that when you're battling against Venomoid, your Bakugan isn't the only one who feels pain." Hal-G said and laughed again.

"Grandpa… please wake up!" Alice said, prompting the negative-energy scientist to look up at her. "C'mon, grandpa, I know you're still in there. It's not like you to hurt us. It's not like you to hurt _me_! Please, grandpa, you have to fight this."

Hal-G looked up at her as she pleaded. Her eyes became puffy from crying, and her nose was too red to ignore. Her mouth continuously quivered. Yet there was a fire in her eyes; she was determined to help her grandfather, even if she was tied up the way she was.

Nevertheless, his mouth quirked back into a smile.

"Your grandfather is gone, Alice. Save your speeches for someone who cares." He replied.

"What..?" She said, staring at him in denial and disbelief.

"He's right, Alice. He's not your grandfather." Shun said, slowly standing up and picking Jaakor off the ground. "He's just a sore loser who can't stand the thought of having lost to a bunch of kids below fifteen years of age, and has decided to come back again to pathetically avenge his failure. Well, guess what, Hal-G. If you lost to us back then, then we'll just break you again and save Dr. Michael."

"Oh, your determination is admirable, Shun, but you intend to beat me… with what army?"

"Army? You don't get it, do you?" Jaakor said, still in his closed sphere form.

"We're more than enough to take you and your precious Venomoid down, no problem. Me, Jaakor… and Alice." The ninja brawler said as he looked up at his date.

Their eyes met silently, but this silence spoke volumes. Shun saw how determined she was to save her grandfather, and she saw how determined he was to save them all from that unexpected predicament they had found themselves in. They both knew what they had in common, though: They wanted to fight their way out of there, they knew the consequences of merely falling down and giving up.

"That's right, Shun… I… I wanna help you. I wanna save my grandpa!" She said as a purple glow suddenly surrounded her body.

"W-What the-?" Hal-G yelled as he stared at her wide-eyed from behind his glasses.

* * *

Somewhere, on a South American beach, Dan Kuso stood in his swimming suit, having just finished a brawl with someone. The Pyrus brawler and his legendary partner wasted no time before getting recognised as the best brawler in the area, so they got challenged frequently. Therefore, they were never bored, just as they intended for things to go when they left the pro scene. As Drago receded into his ball form and returned to Dan's grasp, the brawler performed his signature nose flick.

"Ha! And that's game, buddy! Hope to see you again soon!" Dan said as his opponent saluted him and left. Suddenly, he felt his hand growing hotter as it was forcibly shaken by his Bakugan.

"Drago? What's wrong?" Dan asked in concern.

"I… I don't know, Dan. The perfect core within me is reacting to something. I sense… Alice!" Drago said.

"Alice? Is she okay?"

"I don't know, but I'm sensing someone else… someone in Vestroia…" Drago replied.

Dan couldn't believe his ears when he heard who it was.

* * *

Shun and Hal-G stared at Alice's glowing form as she strained her body and resisted the heat flowing through her veins. The ninja duelist had no idea what was going on, nor whether or not he should do something. Jaakor floated beside his partner and opened his sphere form.

"I sense something coming. Be careful, Shun!"

"Right."

Between Shun and Hal-G, a pillar of rainbow-coloured light smashed on the ground and caused the black smoke to part. The ninja brawler and his partner watched as purple speck of light made its way towards them, before the pillar of light subsided and the speck of light revealed itself to be a Darkus Bakugan Shun and Alice recognise all too much.

"H-Hydranoid..?" Alice asked, the glow around her having disappeared.

Darkus Alpha Hydranoid opened up from his sphere form and looked around him, floating off of Shun's palm.

"What? Shun? Where am I?" He asked, and then turned around to look behind him. "Hal-G?! And… Alice?!"

"Hydranoid… Alice must've called to you somehow. In any case, we need your help to beat this guy. He's got a Bakugan that can suck power." Shun explained briefly.

"Suck power? What kind of Bakugan does that?" Hydranoid asked in surprise.

"The kind that's meant to be sent far away." Jaakor said.

"Well, then, that's all good and all, but are we gonna finish this anytime soon? I still have to go get Marucho." Hal-G said impatiently.

"How do we beat someone that absorbs attacks and grows stronger, though?" The Ventus Bakugan asked.

"I think I have a plan. You two ready?" Shun said.

As they both nodded, Shun took out a gate card and threw it onto the ground between him and his opponent, a green wave of energy sweeping over the ground. Both sides then threw their Bakugan.

**VENOMOID: 1500 G's**

**ALPHA HYDRANOID: 800 G's**

**JAAKOR: 1200 G's**

"800 G's… Hydranoid has grown stronger by quite a bit. I'm surprised he didn't evolve." Alice noted to herself.

"Two kills are better than one, so numbers don't matter to me. Come at me, you two!" Venomoid roared.

"With pleasure!" Hydranoid yelled back.

"Ability, activate! Moonlight Shadow Breaker!" Shun yelled as Jaakor grow two energy blades before charging at the over grown serpent.

Hydranoid watched as Jaakor attacked valiantly and quickly, showing absolutely no room for mercy as he fought. He then looked at Alice, vowing to save her. Turning to Shun, the ninja brawler nodded with a confident smirk.

"Ability, activate! Destroy Vanish!"

His back to Hydranoid, Venomoid suddenly found himself tied up and being pulled downwards by the Darkus Bakugan's metallic wires. Not long afterwards, he felt Hydranoid's grinder-like belly against his skin as he started quickly losing his powers.

"Oh no, Venomoid! Ability, active-"

"Not so fast!" Shun cut Hal-G off. "Gate card, open! Ring Zero! This will freeze any abilities you activate!"

"Damn it!" Hal-G cursed.

"Alright then, onto phase two! Let's go, Jaakor!" Shun said. His partner nodded, and a green aura surrounded the Ventus Bakugan.

A pillar of green light shot to the sky, which made way for none other than Jaakor and Shun's Mechtogan, Thorak, to fly down onto the battlefield. Both Bakugan and Mechtogan floated side by side, their eyes on Venomoid's constantly weakening form.

"Okay then, Jaakor, Thorak! Let's hit them with everything we've got!" Shun yelled. "Ability, activate! Supreme Jet Shot!"

"Take this!" Jaakor cried out as he fired the beams of energy from his forearm.

"Chain Dragon!" Thorak yelled out as he switched to his Dragon Mode and charged up his cannons, before unleashing the blasts towards Venomoid.

Venomoid's snake eyes widened as both green blasts merged together and quickly made their way towards him. It was far too much power for him to absorb in his constantly weakening state. Roaring loudly, he awaited waking up from that nightmare when the blast hit. Behind them, Hal-G flew backwards, and the darkness surrounding them started to disperse.

* * *

Back at the Gehabich mansion, Dr. Michael had finally agreed to go to sleep after spending practically half an hour apologizing to Shun and Alice for ruining their date. Apparently, Venomoid had managed to travel from Vestroia to his lab one night, and when Dr. Michael tried to inspect him, Hal-G was reawakened. None of that mattered to Shun, however. There was still one loose end he had to take care of.

He walked into the balcony upstairs with two cups of tea and handed one to Alice, he looked up at him. Nodding thankfully, she wordlessly took a sip from her cup.

"Hey, how you doing?" He asked her.

"I don't know. I mean, I'm thankful it all worked out in the end, but… God, how did I not notice that something was off?" She asked. Shun took a deep breath and leant back in his seat.

"Well, the way I see it, he just spent too much time alone in his lab that he never gave you much of chance to notice something was up." He reasoned.

"Yeah, but still." He held her hand before she could protest further.

"Look, all's well that ends okay, right? And now that he's safe you've got nothing to worry about. Don't beat yourself up over something that's A: In the past, and B: Not your fault." He said, holding her hand in both of his.

She sighed as she looked at him, before leaning in and pressing his lips to his. He didn't hesitate to reciprocate, but eventually they both had to pull back for air.

"Thought I owed you that, since you saved me and all." She said.

"I'm just glad no one interrupted us this time."

"Oh, but you see, I'm Masquerade."

He couldn't help but chuckle. Standing up to lean on the railing, she rested her head over his shoulder, her hand still in his. Jaakor and Hydranoid observed them from inside, thankful that things _finally_ worked out between their partners. As for said partners…

They never wanted that moment to end.

* * *

_**The End**_


End file.
